TWM508859U - Panoramic imaging portable device - Google Patents

Abstract

A panoramic imaging portable device includes a main body and a stowable camera unit. The main body includes a processing unit and a memory unit. The stowable camera unit includes one or more image sensors and a structural member movably connected to the main body. The structural member is contained in the main body in a stowed position, or protruded from the main body in a capturing position. The one or more image sensors are embedded in the structural member and electrically connected to the processing unit. The processing unit controls the image sensors to take photos or videos while the structural member is disposed in the capturing position, so as to execute an image processing software stored on the memory unit for stitching the photos or videos into a panoramic photo or video.

Description

Panoramic image mobile device

The present disclosure is directed to a mobile device for capturing images, and more particularly to a panoramic imaging mobile device.

The increasing popularity of mobile devices such as smart phones and tablets has not only brought convenience to communication, but the built-in cameras in mobile devices allow users to record every moment of their lives anytime, anywhere. According to the photo sharing website Flickr, the number of photos uploaded by Apple's iPhone is the top three of the site, followed by photos uploaded by digital monocular cameras.

Due to factors such as the size limit of the image sensor, the photos and movies of the mobile device are not as good as the digital monocular camera. However, the mobile device can combine the communication function and the shooting function, and can use various mobile application software to take photos and The film's instant post-production is a feature that is not available in digital monocular cameras, so it is the first choice for users to use images to record their lives.

Panoramic photos or movies can provide users with an immersive effect, so there are many mobile device applications that offer panoramic shooting. Such mobile device application software requires the user to hold the mobile device to rotate to continuously take a plurality of photos with different viewing angles and overlap each other, and perform the image stitching technique to obtain a panoramic photo. However, because of the shoot The photographer needs to hold the mobile device to rotate, and the photographer cannot take the photographer in the panoramic photo, so that the user cannot take a photo with the scene that is currently moved, which is a pity. In addition, in order to successfully take a panoramic photo, when the user holds the mobile device, it is necessary to maintain a certain rotation speed and control the vertical height of the mobile device within a certain range, and the shooting is easy to fail and the operation is not convenient.

Therefore, there is a need for a device for taking panoramic photos, so that the user can take a panoramic photo containing the photographer's image and enhance the convenience of taking the panoramic photo. One aspect of the present disclosure is a panoramic image mobile device that includes a main body and a storable camera unit. The main body includes a processing unit and a memory unit. The accommodating camera unit includes a structural member and one or more image sensors embedded in the structural member. When the structural member is located at the storage position, it is housed in the main body, and when the structural member is located at the photographing position, it protrudes outside the main body. When the structural member is in the shooting position, the processing unit controls the image sensor to take multiple photos or multiple movies, and executes the image processing software stored in the memory unit to stitch the captured photo or movie into a panoramic photo or a panoramic movie. .

In one embodiment, the combined horizontal viewing angle of the image sensor is 360 degrees.

In an embodiment, the panoramic image moving device further includes an input unit for receiving information for setting a range of a viewing angle of the panoramic movie, and the processing unit executes the image processing software stored in the memory unit, and dynamically sets according to the range of the viewing angle. The memory space is reserved in the memory unit.

In one embodiment, when the structural member is in the storage position, at least one of the image sensors is aligned with one or more holes on the front or back surface of the main body, and the processing unit controls at least one of the image sensors to be photographed. A limited viewing angle of photos or videos.

In one embodiment, the structural member is perpendicular to the long side of the boundary rectangle surrounding the body when the structural member is in the photographing position.

In one embodiment, the accommodating camera unit includes a motor unit, the motor unit is electrically connected to the processing unit, the processing unit controls the motor unit, and the image sensor is rotated with the radial central axis of the structural member as a center of rotation, and the processing unit controls The image sensor captures multiple photos at different angles during rotation, and the combined horizontal viewing angle of the image sensor during rotation is 360 degrees.

In an embodiment, the structural member is pivotally coupled to the body.

The panoramic image mobile device described in the present disclosure has the following advantages. When taking a panoramic photo or a movie, the panoramic image moving device simultaneously captures a plurality of photos or a plurality of films by controlling a plurality of image sensors embedded in the structural member, or performs image sensing by rotating the motor embedded in the structural member. The camera captures multiple photos with complementary viewing angles, allowing the user to take a panoramic photo containing the photographer's image. In addition, the user of the technical solution does not need to hold and rotate the device by himself, and the operation convenience of taking a panoramic photo is also improved. The structural member can be completely stored in the mobile device, which increases the convenience of use. In one embodiment, the image sensor is aligned with the hole disposed in the main body when the storage position is used as a front camera (Back Front Facing Camera) or a Back Facing Camera. On another In an embodiment, the structural member protrudes at a shooting position and is perpendicular to a long side of the surrounding body to facilitate the user to grasp the main body and to prevent the user's hand from blocking the viewing angle of the camera. In another embodiment, the user inputs information to set the viewing angle range of the panoramic movie, and the image processing software sets the reserved memory space for storing the panoramic photo or the movie in the memory according to the viewing angle range set by the user. Saves the memory space.

100‧‧‧ panoramic image mobile device

110‧‧‧ Subject

1102‧‧‧ pivot

1104A, 1104B‧‧ hole

112‧‧‧Display unit

120‧‧‧Receivable camera unit

122‧‧‧ Structural components

124A, 124B, 124C, 124D‧‧‧ image sensor

114‧‧‧Processing unit

116‧‧‧ memory unit

118‧‧‧Input unit

126‧‧‧Motor unit

The above and other objects, features, advantages and embodiments of the present disclosure will be more apparent and understood. The description of the drawings is as follows: FIG. 1A is a panoramic image according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. 1B is a front view of the panoramic image mobile device according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 1C is a first embodiment of the present disclosure a perspective view of the first perspective view of the panoramic image moving device at the shooting position; FIG. 1D is a perspective view of the second viewing angle of the panoramic image moving device according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure at the shooting position; and 1E The figure is a hardware block diagram of a panoramic image mobile device according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure.

The technical content is clearly disclosed in the following drawings and detailed description, and is not intended to limit the disclosure, and the description of structural operations is not intended to limit the order of execution thereof, and any structure that is recombined by components is produced. Devices having equal efficiency are covered by the disclosure. In addition, the drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not drawn to the original dimensions. For ease of understanding, the same elements in the following description will be denoted by the same reference numerals. In addition, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be modified and modified by the teachings of the present disclosure without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure.

FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B are respectively a front view of the panoramic image mobile device 100 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure, showing the hardware structure of the panoramic image mobile device 100 connected to each other. relationship. The panoramic image moving device 100 includes a main body 110 and a storable camera unit 120. The main body 110 controls the camera unit 120 to be accommodated to take a panoramic photo or a movie. The structural connection relationship of each component will be described below.

As shown, the main body 110 further includes a display unit 112 and a hole 1104 on the front surface of the main body. The detachable camera unit 120 includes a structural member 122 and an image sensor 124. The image sensor 124 is embedded in the image sensor 124. In the structural member 122, the structural member 122 is movably connected to the main body 110. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 1A, the structural member 122 is housed in the body 110 when it is in a storage position, and as shown in FIG. 1B, the structural member 122 is When moved to a shooting position, the structural member 122 protrudes beyond the body.

In one embodiment, the image sensor 124 is a CCD image sensor. In another embodiment, the image sensor 124 is a CMOS image sensor.

In one embodiment, the structural member 122 is pivotally connected to the main body 110 by a pivot 1102. The pivot 1102 is disposed on the back plate of the main body 110 and is worn. When the structural member 122 is subjected to an external force and the external force has a component perpendicular to the radial central axis of the structural member 122, the pivoting is centered on the pivot 1102, and the rotation direction is related to the main body. The backplane of 110 is parallel.

In another embodiment, in the storage position, a top end of the structural member 122 is disposed adjacent to the main body 110, such as a magnetic buckle or a buckle, to fix the structural member 122 to the storage position, at the shooting position. Where the bottom side of the structural member 122 is adjacent to the main body 110, a snap device is also provided to fix the structural member 122 to the photographing position. Those skilled in the art may fix the structural member 122 in other manners, and are not limited thereto. Give an example.

In other embodiments, the structural member 122 is coupled to the main body 110 by a spring, and a locking device is disposed adjacent to the main body 110 at the top end of the structural member 122. When the buckle is fastened or buckled, the structural member 122 is fixed to the storage position. When it is unpacked in the main body 110, the structural member 122 is ejected outside the main body 110 and is located at the photographing position. Those skilled in the art, with reference to the present disclosure, are not limited to the examples of the present disclosure when other movable connections between the designable body 110 and the structural member 122 are made.

In the embodiment, when the structural member 122 is in the storage position, the image sensor 124 is aligned with the hole 1104 provided in the front surface of the main body 110, so that the optical path of the image sensor 124 is unimpeded.

FIG. 1C is a perspective view of the first image view of the panoramic image mobile device 100 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 1D is a first embodiment of the present disclosure. A perspective view of the second viewing angle of the panoramic image mobile device at the shooting position, FIG. 1C and In the first embodiment, a plurality of image sensors 124 A to D are embedded in the structural member 122, and the English letters after the label are used for the difference.

In this embodiment, the structural member 122 is a quadrilateral column type, and the image sensors 124 A to D are embedded on all four sides, and the image sensor 124 has a viewing angle of about 100 degrees, so it is embedded in the structural member. The image sensors 124 on the four sides of the 122 overlap each other in the visible range, and one of the image sensors 124 incorporates a horizontal viewing angle of 360 degrees.

In addition, the main body 110 is provided with holes 1104A/1104B on the front and back sides, and is also distinguished by an English letter. As shown, when the structural member 122 is in the storage position, the image sensor 124A is aligned with the hole 1104A. The hole 1104B is also aligned with the other image sensor 124 C on the structural member 122. Therefore, when the storage position is used, the image sensor 124 that can be stored in the camera unit 120 is also used as a front and rear camera, respectively, for limited viewing. Angle photo or video.

In another embodiment, the structural member 122 can also be a polygonal column type, and an image sensor 124 is embedded in each of the polygon columns, so that the combined horizontal viewing angle of all the image sensors 124 is 360 degrees, and When the image sensor 124 embedded in the structural member 122 of the polygonal column is in the storage position, at least one of them is aligned with the hole 1104 provided on the front or back of the body 110.

In another embodiment, when the structural member 122 is in the photographing position, it protrudes from the long side of the boundary rectangle of the surrounding body 110 and is perpendicular to each other to facilitate the user to grasp the main body 110 and prevent the user's hand from blocking. The optical path within the viewing angle of the image sensor 124.

FIG. 1E is a hardware block diagram of a panoramic image mobile device according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure, illustrating an electrical connection relationship in the panoramic image mobile device 100.

In addition to the display unit 112, the main body 110 further includes a processing unit 114, a memory unit 116 and an input unit 118, and the units are electrically connected. The memory unit 116 stores an image processing software. The image processing software includes an instruction set. The processing unit 114 executes an instruction set to combine photos or movies that overlap each other with an image stitching using an Image Stitching algorithm. In one embodiment, the main body 110 is a smart phone, the display unit 112 is combined with the input unit 118 as a touch panel, the processing unit 114 is an ARM processor, and the memory unit 116 is A flash memory (Flash Memory). In another embodiment, the main body 110 is a tablet computer, the display unit 112 is a liquid crystal (LCD) screen, the processing unit 114 is a MIPS processor, the memory unit 116 is an SD memory card, and the input unit 118 is an external device. keyboard. The above description is only illustrative of the various elements and is not intended to limit the invention.

The accommodating camera unit 120 includes one or more image sensors 124 and structural members 122 (not shown in the figure). Only a single image sensor 124 is represented in the drawing, and the image sensor 124 and processing are shown. The unit 114 is electrically connected. When the structural member 122 is located at the shooting position, the processing unit 114 controls the image sensor 124 to simultaneously capture a plurality of photos or a plurality of movies, and executes image processing software stored in the memory unit 116, each of which will be The photo or film taken by the image sensor 124 is stitched into a panoramic photo or a panoramic photo.

The panoramic image mobile device 100 is controlled by the processing unit 114 to be embedded in The plurality of image sensors 124 of the structural member 122 simultaneously take a plurality of photos or a plurality of films, and the user does not need to rotate the device by himself, thereby greatly improving the convenience of taking a panoramic photo or a movie, and the user can also take the photo in the photo. The limitation of the conventional panoramic photo device or the mobile application software is overcome. In addition, the structural member 122 can be completely stored in the main body 110, which can increase the convenience of use.

Furthermore, when there is a strong contrast or strong light source in the bright and dark parts of the environment, the traditional rotating device continuously takes multiple photos, which will result in the aperture not being dynamically adjusted. The panoramic photos or videos that are taken are easy to be exposed or the dark parts are underexposed. The present disclosure uses a plurality of image sensors 124 to respectively capture photos or videos of different viewing angles, so that each image sensor 124 can separately adjust the exposure amount to generate a uniformly exposed panoramic photo or movie.

In addition, when the structural member 122 is in the storage position, at least one of the image sensors 124 is aligned with the hole 1104 located on the front surface or the surface of the main body 110, and the optical sensor 124 of the alignment hole 1104 is unimpeded, so The unit 114 uses the image sensors 124 as a front camera or a rear camera, and controls the image sensors 124 to take photos or movies of limited viewing angle.

In an embodiment, the panoramic image mobile device 100 receives the information of setting the viewing angle range of the panoramic movie through the input unit 118, and the processing unit 114 executes the image processing software stored in the memory unit 116, and adjusts the viewable angle according to the setting. The range is dynamically set to reserve memory space in one of the memory units 116. Specifically, the video stored in the panoramic movie often takes up a lot of memory space, so the user continues to use it. When the display unit 112 browses the captured panoramic movie, the input unit 118 can also select a range from the horizontal viewing angle as the visible angle range to be archived, and the processing unit 114 can determine the memory according to the selected range. The size of the memory space should be reserved in the body unit 116 to store the portion of the viewing angle selected by the user in the captured panoramic movie, and save storage space.

In one embodiment, the accommodating camera unit 120 also includes a motor unit 126. The motor unit 126 is electrically connected to the processing unit 114. The motor unit 126 is a stepping motor, a synchronous motor or a linear motor. The processing unit 114 controls the motor unit 126 to rotate the embedded image sensor 124 with the radial central axis of the structural member 122 as the center of rotation. The processing unit 114 controls the image sensor 124 to shoot at different angles during rotation. The photo is captured, and the combined horizontal viewing angle of the image sensor 124 at different angles during rotation is 360 degrees.

In another embodiment, when the structural member 122 is only embedded with an image sensor 124 and the horizontal viewing angle of the image sensor 124 is greater than 90 degrees, the processing unit 114 controls the image sensor 124 to take a photo. The motor unit 126 is controlled to rotate, and the image sensor 124 is controlled to take a photo every 90 degrees. After 270 degrees of rotation, the image processing software stored on the memory unit 116 is executed, and the captured horizontal viewing angles are overlapped and combined. A four-inch photo with a horizontal viewing angle of 360 degrees is stitched into a panoramic photo.

In another embodiment, the structural member 122 is embedded with two image sensors 124A/124B, the position of which is embedded in the structural member 122 as shown in FIG. 1C, and the horizontal viewing angle of the image sensor 124A/124B is greater than 90 degrees. , then deal with The unit 114 controls the image sensors 124A/124B to take a photo, controls the motor unit 126 to rotate 180 degrees, and controls the image sensors 124A/124B to take a photo, and then executes the memory unit 116. The image processing software stitches the four photos taken into a panoramic photo. Those skilled in the art, after referring to the present disclosure, can design the number and position of the image sensors embedded in the structural member 122 according to the application requirements, and further design the manner in which the processing unit 114 controls the motor unit 126 to achieve the rotation period. The combination of the photos taken by the image sensors 124 has a viewing angle of 360 degrees, and the photos taken by the image processing software are stitched to generate a panoramic photo. The number of embedded image sensors 124 and the manner in which the motor unit 126 is rotated is not limited to the illustrated example. For example, the structural member 122 can be embedded in the image sensor 124A/124C as shown in FIGS. 1C and 1D. The processing unit 114 controls the image sensor 124A/124C to take a photo, the motor unit 126 only needs to be rotated by another 90 degrees, and the processing unit 114 can control the image sensor 124. The photograph is taken again, and the combined horizontal viewing angle of the obtained four photographs is 360 degrees.

In this embodiment, the motor unit 126 is used to rotate the image sensor 124 to obtain a panoramic photo, providing a solution for the user to take the photographer into the panoramic photo, and also reducing the number of required image sensors 124. The image sensor 124 The exposure can also be adjusted for bright and dark parts.

In summary, the panoramic image mobile device 100 controls the plurality of image sensors 124 embedded in the structural member 122 to simultaneously take a photo or a movie, or control the image sensing of the motor unit 126 to be embedded in the structural member 122. The device 124 captures a plurality of photos with complementary viewing angles, and then uses the image processing software to stitch the captured photos or videos, so that the user can take a panoramic photo or a movie containing the photographer's image, thereby eliminating the need for the user to manually hold and rotate the device. Trouble, improve the success rate of taking panoramic photos. The structural member 122 can be completely stored in the panoramic image mobile device 100, which increases the convenience of use. At least one of the image sensors 124 is aligned with the aperture 1104 disposed in the body 110 when in the stowed position for use as a front camera or a rear camera of the panoramic image mobile device 100. The structural member 122 protrudes at a shooting position and is perpendicular to the long side of the surrounding body 110 to facilitate the user to grasp the main body 110 and to prevent the user's hand from blocking the viewing angle of the image sensor 124. The user inputs the information to set the viewing angle range of the panoramic movie, and the processing unit 114 executes the image processing software to set the reserved memory space of the panoramic movie stored in the memory unit 116 according to the viewing angle range set by the user, so as to save memory. The effect of physical resources.

The present disclosure has been disclosed in the above embodiments, but it is not intended to limit the disclosure, and any person skilled in the art can make various changes and refinements without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. The scope of protection of the disclosure is subject to the definition of the scope of the patent application.

100‧‧‧ panoramic image mobile device

110‧‧‧ Subject

112‧‧‧Display unit

114‧‧‧Processing unit

116‧‧‧ memory unit

118‧‧‧Input unit

120‧‧‧Receivable camera unit

124‧‧‧Image sensor

126‧‧‧Motor unit

Claims (7)

A panoramic image moving device includes: a main body including a processing unit and a memory unit, wherein the memory unit stores an image processing software; and a storable camera unit, comprising: a structural member, movably connected to the a body, wherein the structural member is received in the body when the structural member is in a stowed position, the structural member protrudes outside the body when the structural member is in a photographing position; and one or more image sensors Embedded in the structural member and electrically connected to the processing unit; wherein when the structural member is located at the shooting position, the processing unit controls the image sensors to take a plurality of photos or a plurality of films, and execute The image processing software stitches the photos or movies into a panoramic photo or a panoramic movie. The panoramic image moving device of claim 1, wherein one of the image sensors is combined with a horizontal viewing angle of 360 degrees. The panoramic image moving device of claim 1, further comprising: an input unit configured to receive information for setting a range of a viewing angle of the panoramic movie, the processing unit executing the image processing software stored in the memory unit, And dynamically setting one of the reserved memory spaces in the memory unit according to the range of the viewing angle. The panoramic image moving device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the image sensors is aligned with one or more holes on a front or back side of the body when the structural member is in the stowed position The processing unit controls at least one of the image sensors to take a photo or movie of a limited viewing angle. The panoramic image moving device according to claim 1, wherein when the structural member is located at the photographing position, the long side of the boundary rectangle surrounding the main body is perpendicular to each other. The panoramic image moving device of claim 1, wherein the accommodating camera unit comprises a motor unit electrically connected to the processing unit, the processing unit controls the motor unit to be radial to one of the structural members The central axis is a rotation center to rotate the image sensors, and the processing unit controls the image sensor to take the photos at different angles during the rotation, and one of the image sensors combines the horizontal viewing angle during the rotation It is 360 degrees. The panoramic image moving device of claim 1, wherein the structural member is pivotally connected to the main body.